HP 35s for you RPN engineers 7

[aggman]

Check out HPs new scientific calculator...

http://h10010.

http://www1.hp.com/wwpc/us/en/sm/WF05a/215348-215348-64232-20037-215351-3442983.html

I don't want to get a big discussion about how they don't build them like they used to but I bought one because I smoke through a HP 33s about once a year. I never have had one of the older 32s or any of their bigger graphing calcs. I bought the 33s when I was taking the PE exam and got stuck on the RPN. I just opened the box this morning but it appears that it has a much more "classic" feel to it and the buttons seem much better. It seems to follow the same designs as the little RPN financial calculator they sell. I didn't know if others who use RPN had seen this latest offering so I thought I would post it on here.

 

[271828]

Takes two 3V CR2032 batteries. They're about the size of nickels, thicker of course.

No support for a printer or other communications, undoubtedly with PE tests in mind.

Yep, it's made in China. Quality seems fine, though.

 

[jdog1]

I just ordered a 35s from Amazon over the weekend. Being the cheapskate that I am, I stuck with the free shipping, so there's really no telling when it will show up. I'm interested to see how it stacks up against my 33. In any case it's nice to see that HP appears to be listening to what people want.

On a related note, NCEES just released their updated approved calculator list. Both the 33s and the 35s are on the list. Good news for HP users. This could be an HP/RPN revival.

My only complaint about the 33 is the small enter key located in the strangest place possible. Using the 33 for so long has kind of messed me up. I was so used to my 48 that it took me forever to get used to the 33 enter key. I was constantly hitting R/S, where the enter key is on the 48. Now, when I go to use my 48, I'm constantly hitting the SPC key, where the enter key for my 33 is located. Maybe using the 35 for a while will get me straightened out.

I will miss the X^2 key of the 33. On an RPL machine, like the 48, I used to just hit enter again and then multiply the two to square things. You can get away with things like that when you have an infinite stack. You get a little sloppy and lazy with a big stack like that because it's quick and easy. RPN is a different animal. When I started using the 33 while studying for the PE exam, I had to clean up my number crunching practices to make more efficient usage of the teeny tiny 4-level stack. RPN requires a little more thought before diving into a big equation.

I'll post some thoughts on the 35s after I get it and have had a chance to play around with it.

 

[IFRs]

I have a (gasp) 42s. How does the 35s compare?

 

[haynewp]

I just got the 35S. The only complaint I have so far is that I have also noticed the decimal point not registering a couple of times when doing a calculation.

It has happened when I am speeding through a calc and I think I don't press down hard enough. But it seems to register fine when I test it, for instance if I deliberately press it in combination with a number over and over. Such as hitting 2.2.2.2.2.2.2 very fast and deliberately with my thumb.

 

[jheidt2543]

This has been a fun thread.

Just wondering - does Eng-Tips get a sales commission from HP on all the 35S's that have been purchased due to this thread? If they don't, they should!

I'm thinking of getting one too, I still have my dead HP45. I just can't bear to part with it.

 

[ron9876]

The keys not registering is what I was referring to above. It seems if I am watching the strokes as I enter it works and if I'm not watching and going fast it misses keys. Doesn't seem to be limited to the decimal key. Not sure how or why.

 

[haynewp]

same here. It may be a timing issue when pressing one digit and then the next rather than not pressing the buttons hard enough. If I go through "9876543210" very fast it will miss one of the digits every couple of times I try. I know it sounds stupid but I type in calculations very fast and don't always look at what I am entering. I have been catching it when I get for example, a 2.5" thick steel plate when I was expecting about a 0.25" plate for an answer. I am not sure if it is a problem with the particular calculators we have or if we are just typing in numbers faster than everyone else on this thread and this is causing the problem. I do not believe there is a "keytime" feature like there is on the 50G that you can adjust if you type in numbers very fast.

 

[271828]

I think this happens when one key isn't totally let up before the next one is mashed. I've noticed that I miss keystrokes from time to time, but I'm pretty sure this is why. A flaw? A user error? Up for debate, I suppose. I'm still faster with my HP35s than the others, so I'm willing to live with it.

 

[ron9876]

I enter numbers fast also and this is a problem for me. Learned to use both hands when I used a 41CX. I want it to work for me but if I can't adjust then I will have to replace it. Can't afford to make a mistake because of my calculator.

 

[271828]

haynewp,

Here's an interesting experiment, which is at least a little related to the last couple of posts.

Try pressing 1, 2, and 3, keeping 1 and 2 pressed while you press 3. Do it fast or slow and either way you should see all three numbers. Try the same with 7, 8, and 9. Then try the same with 4, 5, and 6. Mine won't register all three on that row, regardless of which order I punch them. Not saying you're holding them down, but it's interesting seeing how there seems to be some patterns to this kind of thing.

As another, more direct experiment, I tried pressing any alternating keystrokes, 1,2,3,4,5..., etc. and no matter how fast I punch them, I can't get mine to miss one. Not saying I'm the Carl Lewis of calculators, but I'm punching them really fast in this experiment. Could you have a faulty calculator? After trying this, I don't see how speed could be the problem. You should be able to go very fast and only have "operator errors" LOL.

 

[haynewp]

Mine does the same. The press and hold 1,2 then 3 registers all of them and pressing and holding 7,8 then 9 but it doesn't work on the 4-5 then 6. Also doesn't work going backwards with 6-5 then 4. Does yours work on on 1-2 then 4 or 1-2 then 7? Mine does not.

Very interesting that you found that anomaly.

 

[haynewp]

I can't get it to miss when going through 123456 very fast either. Maybe I have just been fat thumbed and hitting two keys exactly the same time like "5,6".

 

[271828]

Mine also will not do 1-2 then 4 or 1-2 then 7. It also won't do 8-9 then 3. I suppose these are trivial points, though.

Errors do seem to happen more often with the decimal. I tried holding down the decimal key and pressing every number and they all worked. I also tried the reverse. Hold down any number and press the decimal and that worked. My only idea is that the decimal is farther from some of the keys--finger moves farther, I get impatient, and try to hit it too fast and get to the next key. Just a guess, though.

I also can't seem to get the Enter key to cause any problems, like pressing and holding Enter, then pressing two, th en let off Enter. I can even clear the stack, press 1 and hold it, press and hold Enter, let off 1, and press 2 and +. Even if I never let off Enter, it shows 3. That's pretty slick. I wonder if a TI will do that, LOL.

I will try a lot harder to notice when I think a key didn't register to try and see a pattern.

I wonder if anybody over at

http://www.hpmuseum.org

has posted a thread on this.

Lit reviews must be boring if I stop doing that to experiment with my HP!!

 

[271828]

More: I can press and hold 4 then 9, hit sqrt and it shows 7.

If I press and hold 3, ., and 2, the 2 doesn't register. Some other combos do, however, and this is unlikely to actually happen during a calc.

Now I'm bored enough to continue searching through obscure journals...

 

[haynewp]

I found a couple of mentions on 35S missed keystrokes on Google groups.

http://groups.google.com/group/comp.sys.hp48/topics

 

[271828]

haynewp,

It would be interesting to know what calculators folks who are having problems are migrating from. Perhaps the key shape, travel distance, calculator slope, or something else is just a little different and causes errors.

I used a 48G before and I think a LOT of folks have used those for 10+ years. Surely that would cause many subconscious habits and preferences to be well ingrained.

From beating on mine, I'm pretty well convinced that the calculator does not miss any keystrokes regardless of speed, previous key not being let up, etc. Perhaps other units are defective, though, although we seem to have a sample size of two good ones now.

10000e

 

[haynewp]

I came from using a 48sx for 13 years then a 49g for about a year. I need to get someone else to use mine and see if they have a problem with it. So it sounds like you decided the keystrokes you mentioned that you missed previously are from user error and not a problem with your calculator.

 

[271828]

"So it sounds like you decided the keystrokes you mentioned that you missed previously are from user error and not a problem with your calculator."

Yep, pretty much.

I just noticed an error. I multiplied something by 55 and lost the second 5. I simply didn't let up all the way.

I speculate that one has to let up on the key farther, before pressing it again, than is required on the 48.

LOL, they need a "short trigger reset" like some semi-auto handguns have.

 

[haynewp]

Another thing that is bothering me is the stack limitation coming from the 48sx & 49g. Also, it does this duplication thing when the stack is full that I am not used to either.

 

[haynewp]

I will just get used to it, I don't want to start sending them back and end with a refurbished one like what happened last time. It was all downhill from there.